Blogs
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Auditor General reports confirm gaps in safety enforcement
Auditor general reports in Manitoba and Ontario, released last fall, uncovered some major shortcomings when it comes to enforcement of regulations governing commercial motor vehicle carriers and drivers. Not to mention the monitoring of the programs and people who are…
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We’re looking for Canada’s top truck driver
Trucking can be a thankless job. Every day, professional drivers are expected to deliver their loads safely and on time, despite myriad challenges that seemingly pop up with the sole intent of derailing the best laid plans. Weather, traffic congestion,…
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Semi-retirement beckons for Rolf Lockwood
Well, strange as it seems to me, I have retired. Mostly. After 41 years of writing about trucks and trucking, 33 since launching Today’s Trucking, I’ve pulled into the yard and parked it. This is not my very last column,…
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Feeling blue? It could be SAD!
We’re in the thick of winter, and you might be feeling the effects of it, including the low energy, irritable mood, or the struggle to get out of bed in the morning. The Winter Blues, more formally known as Seasonal…
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Supply chain faces speed bumps in 2020
My favorite quote from The Irishman is when legendary Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino, bellows to a group of truck drivers at an organizing meeting, “If you got it, a truck brought it!” Ironically, until I watched the trucking/mob flick over the holidays, I thought that iconic saying was a trucking association tagline. The quote also speaks to the realities of being a trucker.
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How far should Ontario’s emissions crackdown go?
Cleaner air comes with a price tag. It’s paid every time equipment evolves in the name of controlling emissions. A tighter focus on particulate matter gave us diesel particulate filters. When regulators squeezed the allowable levels of NOx, we saw the widespread introduction of exhaust gas recirculation and diesel exhaust fluid. The current push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has led to the rollout of everything from new oil categories to aerodynamic refinements and lighter components. Even battery-electric and hydrogen-electric trucks are now on the horizon.
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Workplace harassment ruling
For workplaces covered by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) — or those who are required to have such coverage — an employee may not have the right to sue the employer in a civil action for constructive dismissal. This is because workplace harassment that causes chronic mental stress is considered a workplace injury for which WSIA benefits are available.
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What proposed HOS changes in U.S. mean to Canadian drivers
Proposed changes to the U.S. hours of service rules have been touted as more flexible for drivers and carriers — but what about the benefits and the flexibility for cross-border drivers and carriers? Will the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed HOS provide the same benefits for cross-border drivers, or just make the hours-related differences between Canada and the United States even more confusing? Here’s what I came up with as to how FMCSA’s proposed changes might affect cross-border carriers.
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We have you and the industry covered
It certainly is the end of an era, but the beginning of a new, more modern way of bringing trucking industry news to our readers. We may be ceasing our printed editions of our western and eastern Truck News magazines,…
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Opinion: Ontario auditor general IDs inspection, training gaps
It’s no surprise that Ontario’s auditor general has “sharply criticized the Ministry of Transportation” for its record regarding road safety. Governments, both provincial and federal, are negligent and firmly locked in the stone age when it comes to driver training and road safety focus.
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The fatal flaw with roundabouts
Several years ago, I sat in a meeting that was presenting the safety advantages of using roundabouts. We talked about how they prevented T-bone collisions that occur at conventional intersections. We also discussed how if a collision does occur, it…
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A primer on the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
This is a is a summary of the key points of the U.S. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse program. A PowerPoint presentation of the same is available here. If you have any questions, please email me at dmarcello@cdl-law.com The U.S. Drug…
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A lesson from Russia on energy policy
I hear some people at this time of the year begin to sift through files and discard those which meet the criteria of the “discard” grade, and ponder on those documents which may be important enough to upgrade to the…
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See you on the other side
As first reported last month, Truck News is transitioning to an online format with the publishing of this, its final print edition. As the magazine’s longest-serving editor, I greeted the inevitable announcement with mixed feelings. Like many of you, I…
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Women with Drive: The journey continues
On Dec. 3 in Ottawa, Trucking HR Canada, along with partners from across the country, wrapped up our Women with Drive Hits the Road tour. The initiative builds on the success of the national Women with Drive leadership summit that…
